Widening U.S. 75 Could Lead to More Growth

A plan to widen U.S. Highway 75 from four lanes to six could spur growth in North Collin County near Melissa and Anna. (Published Tuesday, March 27, 2012)

City leaders say a proposed expansion of U.S. Route 75 near Melissa and Anna could be a catalyst for growth.

The Texas Department of Transportation is working with the Federal Highway Administration on a proposal to widen Route 75 from four lanes to six, along with other improvements to a 10-mile stretch of the highway.

The project would eventually stretch from Telephone Road to the Collin-Grayson County line at County Line Road and is estimated to cost more than $480 million.

Anna City Manager Philip Sanders said the city expects to grow more rapidly in the next few years. While the city is prepared to grow, forming an better transportation infrastructure could attract more residents to northern Collin County, he said.

"The expansion of 75 will hopefully make it much more convenient for people to commute to work, but also make it easier for people to move here," Sanders said.

Real estate agent Michele Schleinz said the area is already seeing a surge of construction. Expanding transportation could create more demand, she said.

"This area is booming anyway," Schleinz said. "It's going to boom when the highways come in."

Jeremy Reyna, who works in Lewisville, said he and his wife are building a new home in Anna because of its competitive home pricing and what he sees as growing potential.

"When you talk about places like Frisco or McKinney, when they brought highways through, you saw exponential growth," Reyna said. "I kind of expect we're going to see the same thing here in Anna."

TxDOT said the project could involve acquiring land from local landowners.

Representatives will discuss the expansion proposal at a public meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday.